a little late on a rainy day

It's eleven p.m. and I really should be tucked warm in bed, but the house is just a bit too warm with the heater on and the Christmas tree was just a bit too inviting. Christy and I decorated the house for Christmas this weekend and it looks absolutely lovely.

The charlie brown tree we have turned into a beautiful masterpiece..well, almost masterpiece, after we adorned it with extra ribbon, garland, bows and baubles. The mantle is now decorated with garland and Christmas bulbs and there is a green wreath hanging on our door with lights - lights that took half Saturday evening to figure out how to plug them in and resulted in the use of lots of duct tape. Nonetheless, the house looks too pretty to not be appreciated on a late evening with a hot cup of cocoa topped with whipped cream.

I think part of me doesn't want today to be over. I woke up to the pitter patter of rain on the roof. That is a sound we don't hear often in southern California and something I wish I heard everyday. I'm one of those people that can grimace when the sun shines through my window rather than lovely gray clouds. I enjoy the sun, but the silvery cloudy skies energize me. I may be one of the few that would love to live in Seattle or Oregon.

One day, I will move to a place with different colder weather that makes me feel warmer. And one day, I will most likely return and say it was nice but that California really does have the best weather. I would never admit that to anyone in person, but I think, deep down, I know it's true.

harvest party

Home is an important thing to me. Home used to be a house to me, a place I slept, lived in and ate at. However, I've realized that home has become more of a feeling. I feel at home walking through Biola and driving through the canyon near my house or eating french toast on a Saturday morning.

October is a month that feels like home to me. I love the crisp Fall air, that unfortunately is still developing in California, and the leaves that start to fall to the ground and especially the anticipation of holidays. Two weeks ago, my house hosted our second annual Harvest Party. We invited friends to come and bring some of their "harvest" and we provided yummy cornbread, chili, and Amish friendship bread. Here are some photos of the event and the house. ( I didn't take too many. Megan took the role of photographer for the night.) It felt a bit like home to have everyone dressed warm and lots of friends in one place on a Fall evening.

Welcome to our house!

The Dining Room.

The Front Room (my favorite.)

Yummy Food

Lindsay, Megan and Court finishing up before everyone showed up.

A few of the first people there.

Kyle and Rachelle stopped by for a bit. :)

ps. sorry the photos are so small!

oh, to be Alice

I woke up to a purple door on the left bordered by pastel green paint and a pale blue door on the right bordered by a shade of cream. Which door do I pick? The red pill or the blue pill. In this case, I was either to be led into a closet or a living area, so it didn't matter much.

A few weekends ago (more like a month ago) I visited a good friend from high school who lives in this adorable house in Santa Barbara. She actually lives on the second floor that has been converted into an apartment. I couldn't get over it the entire weekend. I kept walking through the apartment marveling at the different pastel colored walls, mismatching doors, glass and brass door knobs...it was all quite charming and a bit like Alice in Wonderland if you ask me.

Oh, would I give to wake up in a house like this. Not that I'm not blessed as is. :)

phone home

The first two weeks of college, I disappeared to the outside world. That is, the world outside of Biola. My little universe had launched itself into an entire new galaxy of orientation events, late nights, meeting approximately 50 people every day and classes that lasted three hours sometimes.

After about two weeks, my phone rang and the not-so-little three letter word MOM showed up on my cell phone's screen. Oops...! I hadn't called my mom in two weeks, the person who raised me and had lived with since my parents brought me home from the hospital. I answered the phone to a somewhat disgruntled mother, which is never fun, but to this day, I commend her. The fact that she held out for two weeks is more respectful of me than I ever thought was possible. I know she most likely wanted to call the day after she dropped me off to hear about every minute of my night and my plans for the next week, but she waited. And waited. And waited.

Unfortunately, I never called, not because I didn't love her or respect her, but my little universe had expanded and was still adjusting to the multitude of little stars in my eyes. She accepted my apology after a few minutes, and then I delved into my life at the time and everything that had happened in the two weeks time.

I left home that Fall of 04 not expecting much. I knew college would be "exciting and fun," but I had no idea what it was really going to be like. I was actually fairly naive about the whole thing. Those first few weeks were a good sign that I had been thrown into an entire new place of learning and activity. My eyes were opened and I realized I could be who I wanted to be, I had a fresh start from high school but with the knowledge of a high school graduate.

The past few weeks I have been writing a series of features on four new freshman students titled The Journey. Each of them remind me a little of myself those first few weeks - overwhelmed, eager, young and inspired. God is so present at Biola and it is so evident in new freshman. Their eyes are opened and they are thrown into a new universe full of stars and new places to explore that they didn't know existed.

Though I do regret not calling my mom those few weeks, I am grateful she let me live in my new little universe for a while and then brought me back home when I needed to be. Eventually, the two universes collided and I could live in my new universe and call her multiple times per week.

writing a wave

I've found writing to be an emotional thing for me. I think it is like that with a lot of writers. If they don't feel a certain way, it is difficult to write. 

My emotional tie may root to my initial desire to write poetry along with the ups and downs of my life in junior high, which developed into a love for creative writing and then journalism in high school. Time is also sincerely involved. I am not a hasty writer. I take time to sit and drink in thoughts and then pour them out hoping the two resemble each other. 

So, as much as I would like to pass off my neglect for this blog in the past month on me being busy, the truth is I didn't feel like posting anything nor did I really have time to sit and drink. I know — horrible for me to have broken the number one rule of blogging. (Taken from the Official Guide for Blogging 101; Rule One: Blog frequently or else lose your readers.)  

Writing comes in waves and every once in a while they slow and then another set will come in. Thankfully, the dead waters are alive again and I brought myself to write a post (even if it is about my lack of posting.)  

Therefore, expect quite a few more since all waves come in sets. 

berry cool

This is my Blackberry. My office bought it for me about a month ago. I still have yet to master the tiny full keyboard and Cheesecake Factory size menu of options, but I am slowly learning. Since I was still attached to my pretty white slider phone at the time, I still have two phones. However, I came to the realization that I wouldn't have to pay a phone bill which would save nearly $1,000 per year if I solely used the new black contraption given to me - for free.

Tonight, I went onto my Cingular account to see how much I was actually paying and if it was worth it. How much was I spending and how much was I using? Well, I found I was spending too much. I have 4,812 rollover minutes!!! 4,812. I didn't cancel my plan (still in love with the angelic white phone and number), but I did lower it so I'm paying $20 less per month.

It's a start and I'll grow accustomed to the berry soon.

see jenna work

I stumbled upon the website See Jane Work when I was looking for new office furniture and can't help but visit often now. See Jane Work has some of the most adorable office accessories and neat ways to spice up your office. Here are a few of my favorites:

a silver pencil holder like this adds a sophisticated stylish charm to any desktop.
And I love adding patterns into normally dull places.
And this is on my Christmas list..I know, a tad bit early, but how cute are those tools? I'm a single woman, I need to learn how to use them sometime so as mine as well make them cute, darn it! :)

when i get crafty...

Photographers have dark rooms. Mechanics have garages. Artists have studios. And me? I have the floor in my bedroom. When I scrapbook and make cards, it is usually uncontainable. There is paper, adhesives, embellishments, paints, etc. spread almost to a 360 degree angle around where I sit.

So when barely anyone was home this past Sunday night, I decided to set up shop and take over the floor of my room. I hadn't been crafty in a while so I decided to challenge myself with limiting my materials and have some sort of theme since I wasn't making the cards for anything in particular.

What I was allowed to use: 1 piece of patterned paper, the brown fabric ribbon I salvaged from some store's bag, 1 other form of embellisment, paint, metallic rub-on paint, and adhesives

Theme: I attempted to incorporate different forms or shapes of a flower on each card.

Here is what I came up with!




Not the most creative cards in the world, but I had a lot of fun making flowers out of different materials. :)

twilight

I searched the entire store walking through each lovely aisle, pausing every once in a while to scan covers and read first chapters, but in the end, it wasn't there. It had to be, I thought. I took one final lap around the store before finally giving in. I knew I must have blindly slipped over it.

The salesman could tell I had a question. I shyly moved toward him, made eye contact and with the largest attempt at being casual (as if it wasn't for me) asked where I could find the Twilight series books.

"Ah, yes," he said immediately. He walked me over to a stand I swear I had circled, but there they were. All four in their glory.

"Thank you," I said. I think he could tell I was shy about it.

"You are only on the second one?" he said.

"Yes, have you read them?" I asked grasping for some hope that other people my age read young adult fiction still.

"I had to for the release party," he said. I responded with a knowing nod. He continued though. "At least, that's my excuse."

Then I relaxed and may have delved a little too much about how I am absolutely in love with the books despite the fact that they were written for "young adults." I guess I'm a young adult still, I'm only 22.

This past week I have been all too enthralled by Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. I finished the nearly 500 page book in a matter of 5 days and most likely will be making another trip for the third book in the next week. There is something about fiction and fantasy tied together that draws me (and thousands of others based on the ratings) in. Although, I may be slowly sinking away from reality more and more and fall deeper in love with the protagonists, I find reading a perfectly acceptable form of doing so.

to tweet or not to tweet

Twitter has taken the nation by storm, at least it is trying to. Bloggers and social networking buffs have taken to it like wildfire, however, the rest of the media world is still skeptical.

My good friend Michelle nearly sold me on it this summer. I decided to wait and see how many people would actually use the status-update like media to find out when "Jack is eating cereal" and "Jill is at the zoo." It didn't strike me as utterly enticing to let people know when I was getting ready for work in the morning or walking to lunch.

I found the humor in it though when my friend, Michelle, started "tweeting" updates like "In the company of hundreds of glazed eyed, Mickey-ear-wearing tourists" instead of simply saying "I am at Disneyland." I have began to view Twitter as a challenge. A challenge to create an interesting spunky sentence out of mundane moments in less than 140 characters. What really sold me on Twitter was this video. Pretty soon you just may be able to see me "tweeting."

abstinence university

'Weekend Sunrise', an Australian television show similar to America's 'Good Morning America', featured two Biola students this weekend. I had the pleasure of coordinating the short interview that was broadcast live across Australia Sunday morning (their time) with the producers of the show.

Saturday, I drove the two students, Josh and Lindsey, to the show's LA studio for the interview. We had a bit of an adventure finding the place and between making a few u-turns, illegal maneuvers and pulling into an odd circular drive, finally decided to park and walk. Luckily, we had parked right next to the appropriate building. Even more so, I didn't have a parking ticket when we returned.

Josh and Lindsey did a wonderful job and were eloquent in their answers regarding the community standards agreement at Biola involving abstinence - sexual and substance. View the video here.

Although it is humorous that we were referred to as Abstinence University, this was a great avenue for the university's message and the students' beliefs to be shared. Also, I would love to work with this show's crew again. Besides the fact that their accents make me swoon, they were incredibly courteous and simply put, nice people.

my pen stopped today

The pen is the pulse of a journalist's thoughts, the mind's object of affection where thoughts flow and turn to prose on paper.

Today, my pen stopped.

Often I am able to suppress my emotions and remain focused. It's not that I don't have a heart, it is that I am a survivor. I continue to survive through difficult situations and ignore the way I feel to move toward a more important cause. Today, I couldn't allow myself to do that. As I learned about a professor's husband who is in the ICU after surviving the Metrolink crash Friday, I had to put my pen down. This distant tragedy was no longer distant, but close to home and to my heart. It was close to my pulse, which had to stop. I didn't allow tears to flow, although I wanted to, but as I read the news stories and gathered information about the professor, I broke out into hives.

I realized since I wasn't allowing myself to react, my body was going to without my permission. It may have been stress or simply the saddening feeling of someone in pain, I'm not sure. I eventually picked my pen up again, but it made me wonder why I had such a hard time doing so. When does the pen turn from a warm heart of telling a person's story to a cold shoulder towards emotion? Or, out of respect, should I tell the story at all? This doesn't apply to the nature of this story alone, but it made me wonder today.

Please pray for the professor, her husband and their three children.

be still

The concept to be still is a tale as old as time, but something completely new to me. My efforts to be still are often far and few between because of my busy life. However, with that has come a lack of attention towards my creator.

On Sunday, Mike Erre described being still with the image of a child after a day at Disneyland in their father's arms - allowing yourself to be complete dead weight, no effort to hold your head up, comforted by arms that hold you tightly, and arms that you can trust to carry you home. That image resonates with my mind, but it is a concept my heart is still grasping.

RH dedicated this week to pursue God as they look to the holy spirit to guide the church into the next year. The week, called Awakened, has woken me up each day at 5:30 to travel to church for a "service" from 6 to 7 a.m. I only intended to attend the Monday service. I figured one day would show I was committed, but would not interfere with my schedule. Needless to say the week has interfered with my schedule more than I thought it would.

Each day, it is harder to get out of bed, but easier to make the decision to do so. The week has been a time of being still in the mornings, listening to God. When I arrive at the church, I speak to no one, but sit on the floor of the sanctuary alongside other church members. Two staff members lead the morning times. The best way to describe it would be contemplative prayer and worship. I'm not sure if to say that I have fallen in love with God again is a good way to comprehend what I have been learning, but this has been a week of rediscovery. It has been a week of deepening my understanding of my relationship with Him, my love for Him and His love for me. It has been a week of awakening.

I need to rip up my planner and allow interference in my schedule more often.

Civil Forum: Senator McCain and Senator Obama

Since I won't be updating the Biola website until next week, I will use this as practice as if I was writing for an online newspaper, but will also have some personal elements that I wouldn't normally post for obvious journalistic reasons. Each post will be posted at the time designated and I will republish the blog each time I add something. This will be like a Twitter feed, not an actual article.

*So I did the above spanning the time I arrived on campus (3:00) to when I left the media room to go the "spin" room (7:00). If you saw my blog during that time, it read like a timeline and was awesome. However, it took up the length of a football field. Therefore I will edit and condense my notes in case anyone actually wants to read them and republish this post tomorrow.

ps. Being part of the media at this event was amazing! I loved it and can't wait to write about it. God handed me a gift without me realizing it.

lemon-aide

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade...right? But what about when everyone else has imported mangoes?

I worked the past three or four weeks to get tickets and media credentials for the civil forum tomorrow night with Obama and McCain. I was approved for media credentials and two VIP tickets, however, I will not be in the sanctuary. I will be with media in another venue with a live feed...just like I could watch from the comfort of my own home. Two others will be using the VIP tickets and it is not possible to get a third.

Then ABC eyewitness news wanted to interview me outside the church. I politely said they may not want to interview me because I am part of the media for tomorrow nights event. They smiled and agreed. Who does that? Who suggests they shouldn't be interviewed (besides South Dakotans*)! I was kicking myself for that. I could have been on national television and I said no. Ridiculous. Not to mention, this could have been a publicity tool for the university.

Then to top it off, I got an email from my Mom who said her friend had an extra VIP ticket so she will be attending the civil forum tomorrow.

God, I need some lemon-aide right now, because I am not very happy with my lemons. This is starting to become funny. Or not funny at all. I think God is teaching me to be grateful for what I have. He's still working apparently.

*The South Dakota reference is thanks to Michelle. :)

*updated to add: I saw today as a group of lost chances. However, after thinking a bit more intelligently and a bit less emotionally, I decided today was not a group of lost chances at all. It is simply a group of other opportunities. Therefore, I will take my lemons and find my other opportunities. Who likes mango nectar anyways?

the pink plaid said it all

When I turn 55, I earnestly hope that I do not have a mid-life crisis. I never really thought about this before today, however, that was before I saw the man in pink plaid.

This morning as I drove along the 5 north, a silver 2008 BMW convertible whipped past me going well over the speed limit. The top was down revealing his balding head and pink plaid button down. He looked around 55 and as I continued to watch him skip through lanes cutting a few people off, I had three thoughts.

1. That's interesting to have the top down at 8 in the morning when it's still overcast.
2. Is that pink...and plaid?
3. MIDLIFE CRISIS.

fight or flight?

I wish I said I chose to fight in dangerous situations, rather than flee. However, as much as I try to fight, my instinct to flee kicks in way too fast to even think of holding my fists up and say 'bring it on!'

I'll never forget the church party I was at in seventh grade when the bounce house I was in began to deflate. As I saw my impending doom of suffocation, I dove - literally - head first out of the entrance sliding past my friends. Did I stop and ask them if they were okay? Oh no. I just made sure my flight from the scene was swift. Although I made it out safely (as everyone else did too), I was also laughed at for my fear of the deflating bounce house was a bit exaggerated.

So when the 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit a week and a half ago and I felt the building shake, what did I do? I fled. However, remembering the bounce house incident, I told everyone in my path to 'get out' of the building to safe ground. (Yes. I know they teach you to go under your desk, but I have my own tactics.) I also walked instead of running. I see this as progress.

Although I was quiet enough to not embarrass myself, I did feel slightly bad when one of my co-workers tripped on his way to the door after I told him to leave the building. That is a story that will be retold for quite some time. The next day he was asking people if they had seen me shove him to the ground. I promise I was a full three feet away from him and his shoes had no traction. Unfortunately, I tend to laugh too much in order to defend myself since the idea really isn't that far off.

sweet kylie

I was finally able to meet Kylie Capri Wood a few weekends ago when I went to visit Cristina and Brian in Northern California. Kylie was born in April so I was so excited to finally meet this precious baby girl. The trip was extremely fun. I always enjoy getting to see Cristina and Brian's life in NorCal and catch up in person rather than through email and the phone. Here are some photos of sweet Kylie and my trip. I had a hard time choosing, as you will see, Kylie is always adorable and photogenic!


I couldn't get over her tiny hands and feet.

I love this.

Beautiful Half Moon Bay. We took a picnic lunch and walked on the beach.

Jacob being cute.

Cristina graciously let me hold her most the weekend.

In downtown Danville.

reflections on restoration

"Gosh, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed.

I was a bit taken aback and shocked at her statement, but I politely said thank you rather than say my thoughts of "No, I don't!"

She then asked, "What have you been doing?" I took this as a compliment. However, I must reflect upon the fact that at the age of 22, this is not a common question. Why? Because normally at 22 you are young enough that you don't need to "do things," or add face creams and such to your beauty diet. I figured this was a question that would be asked of me at age 55 when I finally lose my baby weight and have money for clothes after all the kids are out of the roost. (That is assuming, I find a rooster.)

I graciously accepted her compliments and we finished lunch. But I knew. I knew why she said those things. She hadn't seen me since graduation. I don't think I had realized either before today what has happened in the last few months.

I don't think I can fully describe what happened the last month and a half of my senior year at Biola, nor can I fully explain what I was feeling during that time, except to say that I was highly emotional. Between finishing some of my most difficult classes, working nearly 30 hours a week, preparing for graduation, grieving the idea of leaving Biola, trying to keep my friends, attend social events, be a bridesmaid, taking 18 units, dealing with family crises, my irrational fears, and attempting to keep my room clean so my roommate wouldn't kick me out (thankfully she would never do such a thing) was one of the hardest times of my life. It is an experience I never want to experience again. I learned a lot those weeks, but there was no stopping point, no time to breathe, no time to just sit and relax. It was go, go, go and GO! Or else..I felt as though I would die because there was not time to not go. I wanted desperately to stop and breathe. I wanted to just sleep and not do anything. And yes, there were a few Saturdays I was able to sleep in and maybe a few nights of relaxing, but for the most part relax was not in my vocabulary. For about three weeks straight, I was constantly on the verge of tears. There were quite a few people who experienced those tears as well and I am thankful for those who listened and for those who looked away when they knew I needed to silently cry because I was too tired to do anything else for a bit.

Today when Roe told me I looked gorgeous, I don't know how much of it had to do with the way I looked, but I know I feel different. My body and soul feel restored. I have energy and to be honest, smiling is so much easier now than it was a month ago. It's not that I didn't have fun at some great events the last few weeks of school, but it's that I have time to breathe. I have time to talk to my friends and really listen. I have time to talk to God and sit with him.

As I am finally processing these things, there will probably be a few more posts on this. Thanks for reading if you actually reached this sentence. :)

the maples

My good friend Megan married her prince charming, Craig a few weeks ago. I was honored to be a part of the wedding party and it was one of the best weddings I have been to. She had the lovely colors of persimmon and a deep red which adorned the reception and ceremony in bright gerber daisies, our bridesmaid dresses and other details. Triplecord Photography did an amazing job and was so fun to work with. One of the photographers actually goes to Biola so it was fun to see him as well.

Here is a link to the slideshow Triplecord put together. Megan looked absolutely gorgeous.

the culprit

I had blamed Disneyland. That is where I ate Thursday night so it seemed completely logical to file a claim with the happiest place on earth for my case of food poisoning. Then I came to work Monday and it seemed that an odd amount of people had food poisoning over the weekend. Five of us to be exact. And that was in my department alone!

After some CSI work, we had all eaten cheese on Wednesday or Thursday at the Cafe or Talon. I won't be filing a claim, but I'm definitely taking my lunch to work with me this week.

IVs, the ER and GI Cocktails

I took my first steps into the ER as a patient this past February after being in a car accident. I walked in with some whiplash and walked out about an hour later with some vicaden. I was happy.

I took my second steps into the ER as a patient this weekend. I'm not sure if steps would be the appropriate word since I really wanted to crawl. Thursday night I came home with a full stomach and a mild case of food poisoning. I thought I was simply really full..until I wouldn't stop throwing up and the nausea didn't leave me. I called my mom and bless her heart, she came over to take care of me at 2:30 a.m. By Friday morning, I had enough and she took me to the ER.

I was not expecting a pleasant experience - hospitals usually make me feel faint and the idea of a needle makes me dizzy, but I can proudly say I love the ER. They gave me anti nausea medicine as soon as I walked through those lovely doors to the back, stuck a needle in my vein which I barely felt, I didn't even know they took my blood, and gave me a GI cocktail which made me all numb and needless to say happy that I wasn't curled over a toilet. Not to mention, the nurses and doctor were all incredibly nice. I can't say I want to go back soon, but I am definitely thankful for IVs, the ER, GI cocktails and friendly nurses.

just say Yes!

I have a tendency to say yes - to everything. I have an innate desire to be a social butterfly.

I'm in a wedding this weekend and today was the bridesmaids luncheon. It was held at the delish Crepes de Paris on Birch Street in Brea. I definitely recommend this cute little crepe cafe for brunch, an afternoon sweet tooth craving or a late night snack. Anyhow, after lunch, the girls were all going to get pedicures and manicures and I had to say no. I had already been gone from work and had to get back to finish some projects. I've always had a job that I've been able to maneuver my hours easily, however, in a sense I do work 9 to 5, although they are flexible with me.

I shouldn't complain, but I was definitely sad at having to say no today. The little mouse in my pocket kept squeaking, just say Yes! Skip work! Fortunately, I didn't listen to it, but he continued to scream at me as I walked to my car. :)

On a happier note, I do get to take the day off tomorrow to be at the rehearsal and spend the night with the bridal party, etc. I'm extremely excited for my dear friend Megan to marry the love of her life this weekend. I think weddings are becoming one of my new favorite things, if they weren't a favorite before, that is.

a little nutty

If there is such a thing as brain food, I have taken advantage of it - or at least the snack form of it. I can't explain how much more productive I am when I have something to snack on. My choice of the week has been dried fruit and nuts.

Yesterday I came in and cleaned my desk - dusted and windexed to be exact. This is my first week with the office to myself so I plan on cleaning, organizing and then decorating. After I finished cleaning yesterday I went about to open my daily pack of brain food. I struggled with the pack for a few minutes until it barely ripped at the top. I proceeded to pull harder and to much delight the plastic finally gave, but only to my dismay of having nuts explode into a firework show as I split the entire package in two. Apparently I'm stronger than expected.

After sitting shocked for a second or two, I frantically swept all the nuts off my desk into my empty tea cup and swiftly picked the crumbs up off the floor and out of my keyboard in fear of someone walking by and seeing my nutty mess. Fortunately, I was left to my own laughter without any witnesses, but from now on I'm using scissors to open the packs.

energy, environment and education

On the upper floor of Metzger Hall at Biola sits the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) department. This is where I work. It is composed of journalists, directors, artists, designers, communicators, analysts, planners - the list goes on. The people I work with are fairly young, extremely energetic, multi-talented and cutting edge in their field of work. The web developer and designers are absolutely genius.

Last Spring at the Associated Collegiate Press Conference in D.C. with The Chimes, we were told our website was by far the best collegiate online newspaper website the critic had seen. When asked who our web developer's name was, they recognized his name immediately. I now get to work along side him in IMC and others.

I have big shoes to fill, but the staff has been extremely welcoming. The environment is fun and casual yet professional and productive. My boss has been great so far. She is giving me a long leash, so to speak, so I can mold the position I am taking over. I feel as though we will work together collaboratively, but she is allowing me to be independent for the most part which is awesome.

If anything else, I will be learning a lot in this position. I have already read multiple articles on brand marketing and am going to start reading about public relations this next week. It's awesome to now be paid to learn instead of paying to learn. The concept of not bringing my work home with me is still very fresh. The first day I attempted to bring some of the articles home to read as "homework" and someone told me I didn't have to, when I'm off, I'm off. This whole working thing is quite fun.

best of both worlds

Last Friday I went for my second interview with Biola. The interview was with HR and I never expected to receive the job offer, but the unexpected happened and Biola offered me the position! I politely asked for the weekend to think and they said yes, however, if I accepted the position, they would love for me to start Monday!

So today I entered the work force at Biola University! I am the new Media Relations Coordinator.

I am extremely excited about this position. It was a difficult decision to not accept the offer by Heal the World, however, I asked if I could volunteer. And John, the president of the non-profit, warmly wrote back yes and he understood my decision. I am also really excited to start volunteering with HtW. My first assignment is to help create and launch their blog site...how much fun is that? :)

God always provides. Always.

the good, the bad, and the...

So if I were to use the word ugly, I may be lying, but I can't think of anything except the large ugly face of decision making. I've improved. Yes. I have. However, that does not change the fact that I don't like decisions. So here is the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good
I have a job offer! And another one that looks promising.
The Bad
I can't choose both, and they are both great opportunities.
The Ugly
I have to choose between them.

Here are the facts: Heal the World offered me a position. It would not be journalism and there would be a high learning curve, because the position is more business administration. I would be writing grants, making contacts, and be a representative for the organization to corporate donors. Essentially, I would be the heart beat for the organization because I would be the only full time employee. The organization is awesome itself, and is missions oriented. The people seem really amazing as well. Their office is in Irvine, which would be a little harder since I'm living in La Mirada next year.

The other position is with Biola, who I would love to work for. My title would be Media Relations and Internal Coordinator. It is a PR position and I would be updating the website, writing stories and working with outside as well as student media. My experience is perfect for this position. And it would be really fun to work at Biola, especially since I already know some of the people I would be working with. I'm also going to be living about 5 minutes from Biola which would be great because of gas prices.

So now, I'm praying for discernment and for the ugly to seem a little less ugly.

you've got to move it, move it...

Four years ago, I packed my clothes, belongings, and life into my little VW bug and unpacked it all in a dorm room in Hart Hall at Biola. Last week, I packed all of my things up - which no longer all fit into a VW bug - and moved out of a house I had rented with 9 girls this past year. Every summer for the past four years I have moved. And every fall, I have returned to the safe security of being a college student. Leaving this summer was the last I would leave a student. I am no longer a college student, but I am a graduate - with no job.

When I returned home last week, there was a sense of comfort. I may not have a job yet or know exactly what I want to do, but no matter how many times I leave or fail, I always have a home to come back to. As I continue to search for the right path, I have realized there may not be the exact right path, there are probably multiple ones, and even if I fail, God is there to catch me and I have a home to return to.

I'm a graduate?

Yes. I made it through 4 years of college life and academia. How I did it? The only answer is God because looking back I have no idea, but it was an absolute blast. I am sad to leave Biola, but it's funny how things turn out because I will be living up there again next year. Here is a sneak peak of graduation. If you've never felt like a celebrity - go through a university graduation. It totally feels like you are one because of everyone cheering and the procession and such. It was definitely fun!

My proud parents and I.
Journalism seniors. We all handed the chair of our department a copy of The Chimes, the newspaper, when he said our names as we accepted our diploma. He had a huge stack by the end.

It's been a while...

So I have neglected this blog in hopes of graduating with higher grades and higher hopes from a well-rounded social and academic life. Therefore, expect good things in the next few days as I catch you up on the craziness of the last few weeks.

my new friend: Mr. P&S

I love my new camera! It is amazing! I can't believe the amount you can do with a point and shoot camera. It works great and is so easy to use! It has been going with me everywhere. Here is the first event I took it to: Spring Banquet last friday. We were able to print two of the photos in the newspaper this week too. (Normally you can't print P&S photos because of the file size/quality).

Spring Banquet was held in downtown Los Angeles just one block away from Biola's original location at 6th and Hope Street. The courtyard of Cafe Pinot and the Los Angeles library was beautiful with sky high buildings surrounding the lit trees and garden like area. My date Kyle and I went with a few friends from The Chimes staff and my roommate and her date. It was a very fun evening. (I had to reduce the quality on some of these in order to upload them...so this doesn't give full justice. :) )


Kyle and I before we left. I wore my grandmother's dress and gloves - they hadn't been worn in 30 years.

Shirley Temples in wine glasses.

Table 20. Cafe Pinot in the background.

Flower ornaments hung from the surrounding trees.

Our CD will come out in one month. Jk. We were bummed this turned out blurry. This photo and all below were taken by or courtesy of Faith Martinez on her SLR.

This is what happens when you have artsy friends. I love it.

Megan, my beautiful roommate, and I.

Canon SD870 IS

I have been waiting to get a point and shoot digital camera for some time. After my camera breaking in London last Fall and not being able to carry my camera in Paris in January because I pinched a nerve in my back, I decided it is ALWAYS good to have a back up.

I've been looking for the past few years and decided, although I am a Nikon owner, I love the Canon Powershots. Whenever I would pass by the camera aisle in a store, I would peruse the cameras and always end up settling that the Canon Powershot is what I wanted. Then photographer Jasmine Star posted her recommendation for a point and shoot - the Canon SD870 IS. I looked it up and it has everything I could imagine for and more.

So I took the plunge and hopefully, my new baby will come in the mail on Monday. And then I'll give you my recommendation for it. :) So excited....

27 dresses

So I saw 27 dresses a few weeks ago and the thing that went through my mind throughout the entire movie was "that is me." I haven't been in 27 weddings and I am not close to that, but the whole perfectionist, can't say no, loves to plan showers, etc. - that is me. But I put it aside and then when I told one of my guy friends yesterday that I was going to a bridal shower today, he started laughing.

Me: "I don't get it. Why is that funny?"

Friend: "You don't get it?"

Me: "No."

Friend: "27 Dresses? You've been to wedding things like every weekend."

Me: "No, I haven't. Have I?"

Then I thought. And he was pretty much right. In the past few months I have done the following: wedding dress shopping, bridesmaid dress shopping, bridal shower, lingerie shower, another bridesmaid dress fitting and shopping for another wedding, and I went to another bridal shower today. And I'm sure there's a few things I missed. Next weekend I am helping with favors for a wedding.

But the thing is: I love it! Love, love, love it! So yeah, I may be a bit like Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses, but at least I enjoy it.

down the rabbit hole

once again.
it happened.
once again i fell down the rabbit hole
the light enveloped me so kind
and i remember when we were so fine.
then we went down, down, down
my heart fluttered away and my mind went after
your smile faded with my heart so jaded
oh when we were so fine
your button downs and black trousers
my twenties curls and cardigans
we fit so fine.
i remember that time. that time we were in line.
your eyes scanned mine
and my heart fluttered away and my mind went after.
then i tripped and fell into the rabbit hole
and you, you stayed up in the rafters
oh why. when we were so fine
then your smile faded with my heart so jaded
and i went down, down and down
i remember that time and we're not so fine.

honored

Dr. Cook's Biola memorial service was held this past Monday. Sunday afternoon, I was asked if I would lead the procession with another student and carry the American flag. I, of course, said yes and was extremely honored that I was asked to be part of a man's memorial service who I truly admired.

Walking to the orchestra with slow, heavy steps and placing the flag in it's stand was a high honor, but once again distracted me from the reason why we were there. It may have been a good thing I was focused on how I was walking and the height of the flag considering it is in my nature to trip and/or knock things over. However, I have been so busy discussing, covering and "researching" Dr. Cook and his death that I was not able to focus the meaning it took yet.

Then I sat. I was able to sit in the front row next to faculty, a few students and among the family. And it hit me. I was still somewhat numb, but tears gently floated to my eyes as I heard the tributes, speeches and watched pictures of Annabelle and Clyde cross the screen. I was sad. Until that moment I hadn't been allowed to be sad. I hadn't been able to let tears flow or talk about him in a non-professional manner. I was finally able to feel.

And as I sat there, I selfishly asked the Lord to give me a husband one day that will love me like Clyde loved Annabelle. But it's not selfish at all because Clyde loved the Lord first, directed all conversation, hopes and dreams to Christ. And by asking for the Lord to someday give me a man that loves the Lord like that, I am also asking for my whole self to love the Lord like that.

I can only hope I will dedicate my life and continue to dedicate each and every day of my life like they did together to the Lord Jesus Christ. Goodbye Dr. Cook. Enjoy the party!

For more info., read here.

kylie capri

I called my best friend Cristina last Friday to chat and catch up. Her husband Brian answered the phone.
"Hi Brian. What are you up to?"
"Cristina's in labor."
"Wait. What?"
Then he laughs.
"Brian, that's not something to joke about."
"I'm not kidding."
"Wait. Really?"
Cristina went into labor last Friday three weeks early. Kylie Capri Wood was born around 3:45 p.m. at 5 lbs. 6 oz. and 19 in. I was ecstatic for the happy family and this is as close as I will come to being an aunt - until I'm married. I haven't seen her in person yet, but she sure is adorable in photos.

Welcome to the world Kylie and congratulations Brian and Cristina! :) I love you all!

I definitely stole the photo from Janet, Brian's sister, who is an awesome photographer. So thanks Janet!

Saying Goodbye

It's taken me a while to sit down and write this. I've created a few new posts the past week and not posted them. Dr. Clyde Cook, president emeritus of Biola, passed away last Friday night from a heart attack. I got the text message at 10:30 p.m. I was with a few members of The Chimes staff so we immediately confirmed his death with an official source, went to the office, wrote up the story for The Chimes Online and created a blog for people to post their memories.

The next few days were crazy. We pulled together a tabloid issue dedicated to Dr. Cook detailing his athletic career, his memorial services and his time at Biola. The title was Saying Goodbye.

I spent 25 hours this past week learning more about Dr. Cook and outlining his life. I spent more time with him this past week than I did when he was alive. But I'm not sure if I have said goodbye yet. I wasn't even sad when I got that text message. I was shocked, but then my journalistic mind went into work mode and that was that.

Now it's been a week and I'm ready to say goodbye, but I still feel numb. I don't think I ever thought a man with his grandeur could die. At least not this soon. I have to thank him for the many times he smiled at me and was gracious with me. I remember how intimidated I was the first time I interviewed him for The Chimes, but he sat me down in his office and made me laugh.

Clyde, thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for giving your life to the Biola community for so many years. You made it a better place. It and I will miss you.

journalism unveiled

Biola's journalism department recently departed from the communications and film department and formed it's own department. This is extremely exciting for the department because it means more growth! It has been great to be here the past four years and see the department really develop. When I entered Biola, there were probably 15 journalism majors. Now there are different emphases in visual, print, broadcast and public relations and now there are over 100 students in the major. We also went from one professor to four!

To celebrate the separation, the public relations students put on an event called Journalism Unveiled. It was a 1920s themed murder mystery dinner with characters from the journalism department and a script written by my good friend Kyle. The speaker was Michelle Burford, a Biola grad. who was one of the launching editors for O, Oprah's magazine. She was extremely inspiring. Here are a few photos from the night, courtesy of Ronalynn.

This is probably my favorite pic of the night. I love these girls! They have been such a blessing to know and work with at The Chimes.

The wonderful gift we were given: a reporter's notebook. How appropriate.

The table after the night was over.

The girls with Kyle, a lucky man.

Notice James' hat and Gail's gloves. Quite lovely.

Final pic of my favorite journalism girls (minus Michelle and Melissa). Ronalynn made it into this one.

loved, blessed, whatever you want to call it..it was good.

The view from the backyard of our resort house.

I turned the big two two on March 26 which was beautifully over spring break. I rang in officially being in my twenties with two of my best friends and it was absolutely delightful.

My good friends Courtney and Megan and I were in Palm Desert and they did everything they could have to make my birthday special. They made me breakfast in the morning (I was not allowed in the kitchen), and let me decide our plans for the day. They also took me out to dinner that night for dinner at Las Casuelas - a fabulous mexican restaurant in Palm Springs. And there was a live band to add to the fun. I am so blessed and thankful for them - not simply because they gave me the wonderful birthday gift of making me feel loved - but because they are wonderful amazing grace giving friends. Thanks girls for a fabulous day (and weekend in Palm Desert)!

my greatest friend at the moment

I have been completely unmotivated since Spring Break. I told myself I needed two weeks not one and God forgive me, but my body took two. I was productive this past week. Yes, I worked. Yes, I cleaned my room. However, I was not as productive as I should have been in the academic department and now I sit in my room tired (from nothing) surrounded by books and am kicking myself for not doing more. However, at least my hazelnut mocha is keeping me company...and keeping my alive.

color swap

I tend to want to change things with the change of seasons. I had become bored of the green..and realized on some PCs, the color was really not very appealing. So I swapped some colors on my template and...Voila! This is what occurred. Hope you like it!

I'm working on a permanent header, but until school slows down..I'm not sure when that will happen. :)

Tag..You're it!

I was tagged by a new friend, Deb.
The rules of this tag are easy. If I tagged you, answer the questions on your blog and tag five more people. :)

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Well, I was 12 on the verge of 7th grade and most likely learning about being a girl, dressing up as the spice girls with my friends and selling girl scout cookies. I believe I wanted to be an architect or a painter at that time of my life. I loved crafts! And still do!

Things on my to do list:
Get my sailing license. Live in another state or country for at least half a year. Learn to sew. Continue to grow closer to God. Learn to speak french fluently.

Bad habits:
Hm...does being stubborn count as a bad habit? Haha. Eating too much..really..I do!Sleeping through my alarm. Constantly being five minutes late to everything.

Places I have lived:Irvine, CA. Orange County, CA. Biola/La Mirada, CA

Things most people don't know about me:
I took 6 years of French. I spent at least a week every summer growing up sailing to and staying on a boat in Catalina. I am lactose intolerant. I am part Lithuanian. I have never finished a Jane Austen novel...but I am determined to soon.

Tag!
Ronalynn
Manda
Cristina
Alyssa
Michelle

Providence

God is always faithful.

If anyone listened to me the past two years discussing the crossroads I was at then (ResLife vs. Editor in Chief of The Chimes or ResLife vs. SOS) they would know I am terrible at making decisions - at least when it involves my heart and my future. Most people think they have a hard time going through these things - until they meet me. I become extremely emotionally attached to people and jobs and have trouble discerning what my next step should be. This usually involves long drawn out conversations over week periods, hours of meditation and prayer, crying, making a decision and then deciding it's the wrong one and going through the motions all over again. Simply ridiculous really.

After experiencing these heart wrenching decisions the past two years, I decided to make this one simple for myself. (If you are confused, read my last post :) ) if there is anything I realized the past few years in making decisions, often there is no wrong decision, it is simply deciding what path to take. God will use my skills anywhere.

Yesterday, I spoke with a few friends, reviewed my options financially and spent time with God. Before I went to sleep last night, I prayed for God to specifically speak to me in my meeting with the ISF department today and instill a fire in me if ISF is where I should be next year.

This morning I got an email that said the person I was supposed to meet with was sick and would not be able to meet with me. If God could get any clearer, I don't know what it would look like. I thought I could be reading into things, but I also think we are taught to not ignore things like this. I also became extremely excited about applying for the magazine position and the more I thought about waiting a year to apply for ResLife and Grad school, I felt more peace.

So this afternoon, I told Rachel and Beth, who were both extremely gracious, that I was going to wait a year before I applied. I left their office a little sad, but extremely peaceful.

I think this was the fastest decision I have made and actually felt extreme peace about immediately. God is always faithful.

Possibilities

I have been extremely open to what I will be doing next year except for the idea that I will do journalism for a year and then apply for Grad school at Biola and apply for a Resident Coordinator position in ResLife. So basically, I had one year to have fun and fulfill my dreams of being a journalist and then I had a plan.

Well..this past week, I feel like my world has been turned upside down. Over the course of the past few weeks, I have had many people and or events that have further confirmed my desire to be in ResLife. However, I pushed these out of sight figuring they were solely for next year.

Then, my good friend Mel encouraged me to go and talk to Rachel Clark, one of the assistant directors in ResLife. I did and it turns out - even though applications were due a week ago - they would be able to interview me this next week and still accept my application for an RC position for this next year. I would need to be a grad student if so though, so I would need to apply for grad school. I have an appointment on Monday with Nicole in the Institute of Spiritual Formation department at Biola to discuss the program.

Then, today I got an email from a friend with a link to a job opening for managing editor of the Biola magazine.

I feel as though I am once again at a crossroads between ResLife and journalism. Why do these two things continue to conflict?

Although, every part of me wants to sit and dwell on this, I am not. After learning through last year's many discussions with Ryan and Alyssa and other good friends, I know God will use my strengths wherever I am. Now I just need to make a decision and stick with it.

Hopefully, I will have more clarity after my meeting on Monday.

Please pray for me as I seek peace through these thoughts on my future! :)

burned out

So this may be the result of a late Wednesday night at The Chimes, but I am exhausted. Burned out is a more appropriate word. And unfortunately, I still have papers, midterms, a final and reading to finish before next Friday. My only strength comes from God and the thought of spring break.

I can't wait to read (leisurely).

a break from my second home

The library has become my second home. With three midterms within one week of another and multiple papers due, I have dug myself a hole in the library and do not come out unless I need to eat or have some other obligation such as class or that small thing called being a journalist.

Today, two of my housemates convinced me to take a break and see Enchanted with them at the dollar theatre. (Which is no longer a dollar, but a dollar fifty). It didn't take too much convincing to be honest, considering I had been dying to see it. Now I can't wait until it comes out on video.



I absolutely loved it. It was incredibly cheesy, cute, fun and entirely disneyesque - which I love. I definitely left enchanted myself along with my two girlfriends. We sang all the way home and currently are trying to find an event in which we can wear our old prom dresses to.

Okay. So maybe I'm just looking for an event to where my princess prom dress to, but it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

They do come true! Along with true love.

Now I just need to find my Prince Charming. The real one.

smitten kitchen

Smitten Kitchen is a seriously delicious site. I came upon it a few months ago and finally added it to my links. I highly suggest checking it out and trying some of the recipes. I can't wait until spring break so I have more time to cook and be crafty. I am feeling significant withdrawals from the two.

morning glory

I absolutely love mornings. They are wonderful. This morning I was able to take in the morning glory of the sun - even though I was on my way to the library to study. However, upon this delightful adventure, I also had a horrible realization. I think I am addicted to coffee or at least have fallen in love with it. I guess being a journalist and student does that to you.

Photo: Taken in London at dawn by my beautiful friend Ronalynn when we were there in October.

Biola Centennial Birthday

Biola's 100th birthday was this past Monday. We have been celebrating this entire year with fun events. My next few posts will be about some of the amazing things Biola's centennial staff has put on and the great events I have been able to be a part of. Until then, read this.

2:28 a.m. & Nate Mitchell

Journalism had lost it's magic for me until tonight. I love journalism, but for some reason I have not felt that love for the past few months. I lost interest in wanting to be a reporter. However, tonight refueled my fire. I hadn't written an article in months for news which also means I hadn't interviewed anyone in months either. Interviewing Nate tonight was fantastic. Read below. :)




Nate Mitchell, Biola junior, is running for assemblyman of the 60th District in the State of California.

Crazy, right?

I found this information out at 6 p.m. tonight and interviewed Nate at 9 p.m. I got myself a cup of coffee after the interview and wrote until 1 a.m. The cup of joe is what is keeping me from sleeping at the moment.

However, more than that, I am stoked! This is breaking news. And it's real news that could affect more than Biola - something that hardly washes up onto the shores of the small university in La Mirada. The excitement is still in me - the magic is back.

Surprise Me

At RockHarbor this morning, a new series started. It is called The last week of Jesus. Each week the pastor will be discussing one of the days in the week before Jesus' crucifixion.

Today started with the day Jesus rode into the city from the East on a donkey.

Palm fronds. I always thought when we reenacted the scene in sunday school that we were keeping Jesus cool by fanning him with palm fronds. Somehow I got this far through Biola without hearing different. Palm fronds were essentially a demand from the Jews on Jesus for him to be the savior they wanted him to be, to give them their freedom. To release them from the reigns of Ceasar and Pontius Pilate. The Jews had an expectation. An image. A picture they expected the man on the donkey to fulfill. When he didn't and through a series of events, Jesus was crucified.

Do I have a picture of a Jesus that I want? Do I expect Jesus to do certain things in my life? Do I demand expectations from God?

Yes. I do.

Today I am praying. I am praying to throw the puzzle pieces from the image I want my life to look like away. I am praying for God to surprise me. I don't want the life I picture. I want the life God has planned for me. I want His purpose in my life and that alone. He has an image - a perfect image - of my life and what it will look like. It may not look like the puzzle lid image I had in mind, but it will be better.

So. God, Surprise me!

Paris

Finally, I am shedding some light on my Paris travels. Before I begin, here is my favorite photo of the entire trip and it is one of the first I took. I was extremely lucky because less than five minutes later the lighting was completely different.



I decided the best way to begin the stories would be to share my first journal entries. Enjoy.

30. December. 6:08 a.m.

I've been dreaming of the day I would take my first steps off a plane into Paris. I am now approximately 16 minutes away from those steps and I think it finally hit me that I made it! I will be in Paris fulfilling the dream I had in fourth grade and held onto until now and forever. I only hope my time here is as good, no amazing, marvelous, wonderful as I have always imagined that city of lights to be.

9:30 a.m.

The moment we didn't have to wait long for while here, but I have been waiting for years to have - my first glimpse of le tour d'eiffel. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun was just rising and the lighting was perfect. See the photo above. :)